Rome, May 28th, 2020 - Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development has given Enel the green light for the early closure of Unit 2 of the Federico II thermal power plant in Brindisi, which is due to start from January 1st, 2021, following the company’s request presented in January 2020. This is the first of the plant’s four coal-fired production units set to be closed definitively. In line with Enel’s strategy to decarbonize its electricity generation mix and with the objectives of Italy’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), in recent months the company has started the permitting process for the conversion of the site into a high efficiency gas-fired plant. This process is necessary to ensure the complete closure of the Brindisi coal plant by 2025, while also guaranteeing the security of the national electricity grid. In addition, Enel is developing projects for the installation of photovoltaic capacity within the site, as part of the broader development initiative for the installation of new renewable capacity throughout Italy.
The early closure of Unit 2 of the Federico II plant in Brindisi is part of Enel's commitment to the energy transition towards an increasingly sustainable model. Globally, in 2019, Enel's installed capacity from renewables exceeded for the first time that from thermal generation and in the first quarter of 2020 the production of zero-emission electricity reached 64% of the Group's total generation. The Enel Group’s long-term goal is the full decarbonization of its generation mix by 2050, with a series of intermediate targets such as the completion of the phase-out of coal in Italy by 2025 and globally by 2030.